Crate-basket.



No. 778,544. PAEENTBD DEC; 27, 1904. H. T. LEWIS.

CRATE BASKET.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

2 snns-snsm 1.

PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

H. T. LEWIS; CRATE BASKET. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHBET Z.

Wiiwaos view.

UNrrnn STATES Patented December 27, 1904 ATENT QFFICE.

CRATE-BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,544, dated December 27, 1904.

Application filed June 29, 1904. Serial No. 214,677.

To 0177- whmn, it pm/y concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY THOMAS LEWIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Lantana, Dade county, in the peaches, and other fruits and other like articles of commerce within crates and after their removal from crates; and it consists in a cushioned knockdown box or basket of improved construction, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The objects of the invention are to dispense with the expensive wrapping process still most commonly used, to obviate the employment of professional packers, to isolate each tomato or the like, to insure perfect ventilation that will carry off surplus moisture, and to provide for exposing to view the contents of each basket in an attractive form.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective top view of the improved crate-basket. Fig. 2 is a bottom Fig. 3 is a top view of the basket opened and with a portion of its inner bottom broken away to expose to view parts beneath. Fig. 4 represents a central longitudinal section through the open basket on the line A B, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a face view of the main blank flat. Fig. 6 is a like view of the blank of one of the cushioning attachments or hottom-supports. Fig. 7 is a face view of the inner bottom detached. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are like views of the respective parts of the central attachment to said inner bottom, and Figs. 11 and 12 are like views of the respective parts of each of the end attachments to said inner bottom.

Like reference numbers and letters refer to like parts in all the figures. The improved basket, Figs. 1 to 4, is of knockdown construction and is composed of pieces of scored strawboard, pasteboard, oil-board, paratlined board, or other suitable material of the various shapes represented by Figs. 5 to 12, inclusive.

The main blank, Fig. 5, forms eleven portions of the improved basket namely, flaring sides 1 and 2 and flaring ends 3 and 4, provided in common with ventilating-holes a; a

rectangular bottom 5, provided with slots 6;

11, attached to the ends 3 and 4 at top.

The slots 6 in the bottom 5 receive the extremities of the pairs of feet f, integral with cushioning bottom-supports 12, one of which is represented by Fig. 6. (Compare Figs. 2, 3, and 4.) Upon said cushioning-supports 12 an inner bottom 13 rests. This bottom is shown detached by Fig. 7 and is constructed with ventilating-notches g in its edges and with slots it to receive the feet a of the partitioning attachments above said inner bottom, which complete the basket. (Compare Figs. 3 and 4.)

The central partitioning attachment is composed of three pieces 14, 15, and 16. (Shown flat by Figs. 8, 9, and 10.) The main piece 14, in addition to its feet a and ventilatingnotches j, is constructed with a middle tongue Z; and a pair of tongues Z adjoining the same, and the other pieces 15 and 16 are constructed, respectively, with a central slot m, fitted to said tongue it, and with a pair of slots at, fitted to said tongues Z. They are constructed in common with bottom notches 0, extending the width of a permanently flat middle portion and with cushioning side wings 1), having ventilating-notches g at bottom.

The other partitioning attachments consist in common of pieces 17 and 18, (shown flat by Figs. 11 and 12,) the main piece of each, Fig. 11, having, in addition to its feet i and ventilating-notches j, a wide rectangular tongue 1', provided with a central rounded tongue 8. The other piece, Fig. 12, of each of said other partitioning attachments is or may be identical with the piece before described with reference to Fig. 9, having a like slot n and a like notch 0 and like cushioning-wingsp, provided with ventilating-notches 11 at bottom.

When the parts are assembled as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4:, three partitioning attachments constructed as above described form above the inner bottom 13 four compartments adapted to accommodate themselves somewhat widely to the size and shape of the individual tomatoes or the like they are intended to hold, and in connection with the bottom-supports 12 they serve to cushion the same against crushing shocks, while an effective circulation of air throughout is insured by the various ventilating holes and notches, and the contents are neatly inclosed at top by the covers 10 and 11, which may be raised at their attached edges to any desired extent by upward extensions 2? of the ends 3 and 4.

The basket is designed for use in any known or improved four or six basket crate. It may be made of various sizes to accommodate the varyingsizes of vegetables and fruits and with only one or with more than three partitioning attachments, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. A crate-basket of knockdown construction comprising sides, ends and a bottom in one piece, cushioning bottom supports attached to said bottom, an inner bottom superposed upon said cushioning-supports, and partitioning attachments carried by said inner bottom and projecting upward therefrom within the basket.

2. A crate-basket of knockdown construction comprising sides, ends, a bottom, interlocking end flaps and top flaps or covers, in onepiece,.cushioning attachments to said bottom, an inner bottom supported on said cushioning attachments, and partitioning attachments having cushioning-pieces supported by said inner bottom.

3. A crate-basket of knockdown construction comprising sides, ends, a bottom, interlocking end flaps and top flaps or covers, in one piece, cushioning attachments to said bottom, an inner bottom supported on said cushioning attachments, and partitioning attachments supported by said inner bottom, said inner bottom having slots to interlock with feet on said partitioning attachments,and each of said partitioning attachments including a main piece having feet fitted to said slots and an attached piece having cushioning-wings integral therewith.

4. A crate-basket comprising sides and ends provided with ventilating-holes, a bottom, cushioning-supports attached to said bottom, an inner bottom supported on said cushioning-supports and provided with ventilatingnotches, and transverse partitions attached to the top of said inner bottom and each constructed with ventilating-notches and cushioning-wings.

5. A crate-basket comprising sides and ends provided with ventilating-holes, a bottom, cushioning-su morts attached to said bottom, an inner bottom supported on said cushioning-supports and provided with ventilatingnotches, and transverse partitions attached to the top of said inner bottom and including a central partition provided with ventilatingnotches and with notched cushioning-wings on both sides, and supplemental partitions each constructed with ventilating-notches and with cushioning-wings on one side toward the end of the basket.

6. A crate-basket of knockdown construction comprising sides and ends provided with ventilating-holes, a bottom, cushioning-supports attached to said bottom, an inner bottom supported on said cushioning-supports and provided with ventilating-notches, and transverse partitions attached to the top of said inner bottom and each constructed with ventilating-notches and cushioning-wings, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

HARRY THOMAS LEl/VIS.

Witnesses:

FRED E. FENNo, L. G. LYMAN. 

